Lending a Voice to the Voiceless

This chapter addresses the issues faced by marginalized students in P-12 public schools in the United States, with a specific focus on the defined correlation between the educational experience of minority students and the extremely disproportionate amount of incarceration among those same student groups. The author's purpose is to shine a light on this issue while further defining aspects of our educational system that may be playing a role in this inequitable outcome. The contents include a qualitative analysis on teacher diversity and training, standardized testing, and the environmental influences of American public school programming and design. Citations include work from professionals in the field, such as Neuroendocrinologist Robert Morris, Marie E. Ferrey, Author of Looking at the Crisis in Hispanic Education, and Dr. Monahan, Professor of Communication at UNC at Chapel Hill.

Latina Baccalaureate Attainment: A Mixed Methods Case Study of a TRIO Intervention

Research demonstrates that Latinas are one of the most at-risk female demographics in higher education and have the lowest baccalaureate attainment rate of all female groups, especially at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). This case study of a TRIO intervention found that TRIO counselors’ consideration of life circumstances in planning academic schedules, brokering relationships with faculty and staff, promotion of academic accountability, and close personal relationships with Latina advisees boost Latina baccalaureate attainment. Findings demonstrate implications for enhancing retention rates and further research in Hispanic education attainment.